Padded license plate screw

ABSTRACT

The padded license plate screw is a single piece screw with a force-dispersing pad permanently attached to the head. The padded license plate screw is designed specifically to replace license plate bolts and used to prevent or minimize bumper damage that would otherwise be caused by license plate bolts in low-impact collisions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to bumper protection devices, particularlyto a padded license plate screw designed to prevent small nicks inplastic bumpers from license plate bolts in low-speed collisions.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many automobile manufacturers today value aesthetics above collisionprotection when deciding automobile bumper design and construction. Anincrease in demand for contemporary, trendy bumpers combined with agradual relaxing of federal standards regarding bumper collisionrequirements have led to the use of plastic bumper covers replacingchrome bumpers. Stylish plastic bumper covers have a greater appeal tocustomers. Plastic can be painted to match the body color and has a moremodern look than chrome. It also weighs less than chrome or metal,thereby decreasing the weight of the vehicle and increasing thevehicle's fuel efficiency level. However, when it comes to damagecontrol plastic has a costly disadvantage. To repair a small ding ornick in a textured plastic bumper cover will require total replacementof the bumper. Similar damage to a flat plastic bumper can be repairedand repainted.

In many states vehicle owners are required to attach license plates toboth the front and rear end of the vehicle. The metal bolts used tofasten license plates to the vehicle are notorious for making costlypuncture dings in plastic bumper covers, especially in high trafficareas and particularly during rush hour. When stop and go traffic isprevalent, there are a high number of low-impact bumper-to-bumper taps.Such damaging taps may also occur when the driver makes a miscalculationwhile parking. These taps cost owners an estimated average of ThreeHundred to Five Hundred Dollars in total repair costs, not includinglost work time and rental car expenses. High end vehicle repairs, suchas for a Jaguar or Mercedes Benz, can average from Five Hundred toTwelve Hundred Dollars.

What is needed is a device that will minimize or eliminate the damagedone from nicks from license plates screws in low speed collisions. Manyof the small puncture marks and nicks caused by license plate screws insuch collisions could be avoided if there were some type of cushionbetween the screws on the moving vehicle and the plastic bumper of thestationary vehicle to absorb and disperse the force of the impact. Thepadded license plate screw provides such a cushion. The invention isdesigned to be small and unobtrusive, yet efficient in shielding theopposing bumper from the potential costly damage of a license plate boltpuncture.

There are several different types of license plate covers and screw capsconventionally available. Most, for example, screw caps designed withplastic or metallic emblems or icons, are designed for stylish purposesinstead of damage reduction purposes. There are also various coveredscrews in other arts, such as rubber support screws for furniture.However, such devices are not designed to address the specific problemsolved by this invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,367 issued Jul. 12, 1960 to F. C. Bontecue describesa specially constructed support structure to stabilize a table, cabinet,or similar appliance. The invention includes a cylindrical, hollow,flexible cap attached to the top of a rivet. The cap contains a bossthat separates the appliance from the top portion of the cap. The bossis attached to a web that bends when there is a disproportionate amountof weight above that particular corner of the appliance, therebyleveling the appliance.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,495, issued Sep. 26, 1972 to D. P. Wagner describesa screw and washer encapsulated by a molded plastic fastener. Theplastic fastener is designed to withstand high torque levels withoutstripping from the metal. The fastener's purpose is to provide anefficient way to coordinate colors of fasteners with other components ofthe particular construction.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,834, issued Aug. 16, 1977 to D. J. Herkes disclosesanother plastic headed fastener. The invention features a quad-postdesign aiming to be capable of accepting high torque or high impactdriving such that it may be drilled or tapped without damaging orstripping the plastic cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,833, issued Mar. 21, 1989 to A. D. Haab describes ametal threaded fastener with a polypropylene jacket covering the headand metal protuberances extending partially through the jacket. Thefastener is designed for outdoor use, primarily in the construction ofstorage bins. The metal protuberances allow the bin assembler to hear ametal-to-metal sound when the fastener has been completely tightened into prevent over-tightening and subsequent damage to the polypropylenejacket.

Other patents showing license plate screws or covered screws includeU.S. Pat. No. 6,519,882 issued Feb. 18, 2003 to S. T. Shuen (decorativelicense plate frame structure) U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,278 issued Nov. 13,1984 to J. D. Dorn (bolt with a plastic covering over the head withopenings in the covering for sharp projections from the head to passthrough) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,618 issued Jan. 17, 1995 to R. L.Singleton (security frame for vehicle license plates for preventing orincreasing the difficulty of theft of license plates).

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or incombination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thusa padded license plate screw solving the aforementioned problems isdesired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The padded license plate screw is a single piece screw with aforce-dispersing pad permanently attached to the head. The paddedlicense plate screw is designed specifically to replace license platebolts and used to prevent or minimize bumper damage that would otherwisebe caused by license plate bolts in low-impact collisions.

Details of the present invention will become readily apparent uponfurther review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a padded license platescrew according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a padded license plate screw accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view in section of a padded license plate screwaccording to the present invention with a flathead screw.

FIG. 4 is side view in section of a padded license plate screw accordingto the present invention with a round head screw.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a padded license plate screw accordingto the present invention with the cap removed and showing the extendedhead of the screw.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a padded license plate screw, designated 10 inthe drawings. The padded license plate screw 10 is designed to preventor decrease automobile bumper damage due to license plate bolts in lowimpact collisions. Referring first to FIG. 2, the padded license platescrew includes a screw 12, a padding or cushion cap 16 with a hollowshaft 20, and a platform 14 for attaching the cap to the screw. Theshank of the screw 12 should be the same size as that of a standardlicense plate bolt. The type of screw 12 is not critical, and may be anyof various types, such as but not limited to a flathead screw, as shownin the embodiment in FIG. 3, roundhead screw, as shown in the embodimentin FIG. 4, or a Phillips head screw. The screw 12 should be preferablyconstructed of some type of corrosive resistant metal or galvanizedmetal.

The platform 14 may be constructed in a number of ways. The preferredembodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, uses a perforated washer 14 placed underthe head of the screw 12. An alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 5,uses a flathead screw with a head having an extended radius. In eitheror any case, the platform 14 must be of sufficient size to secure therubber pad and should be either firmly attached to the screw or a partof the screw itself.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-5 the shape for the cap 16 isconical, but the shape of the cap 16 is not critical. The scope of thepresent invention extends to any of various shapes or sizes includingbut not limited to cylindrical, rectangular, hexagonal, or any custom orhybrid designs.

Any elastic but firm material capable of absorbing the force of alow-impact collision and returning to its original state may be used inconstruction of the cap 16. The preferred material is neoprene rubber,as it is a strong and resilient material and resists degradation fromoutdoor elements such as extended exposure to sunlight or rain.

The cap 16 must be firmly attached to the support 14. This may beaccomplished in any of several various ways, including, but not limitedto, use of an adhesive or the hole-filling method employed in thepreferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3-5. Using the hole-fillingmethod, tapered holes 18 having a frusto-conical shape are drilled intothe support 14. The cap 16 material is poured into a mold in liquid formand permitted to harden, forming protrusions securing the cap 16 to thesupport 14.

The cap 16 has a hollow, shaft 20 centrally aligned above the head ofthe screw 12, as shown in FIGS. 3-4. The shaft 20 allows a screw-drivingdevice to reach the head of the screw 12 so that the padded licenseplate screw 10 can be screwed in to secure a license plate to a carbumper, as shown in FIG. 1.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A padded license plate screw assembly, comprising: (a) a screw having a head and a shank extending from the head, the screw being dimensioned and configured for attaching a license plate to an automobile bumper; (b) a washer disposed on the shank below the head of the screw; and (c) a cushion cap having a centrally aligned hollow shaft, the cap being permanently attached to the washer and covering the head of the screw, the hollow shaft being aligned above the head of the screw in order to allow a screw driving device to pass through the shaft and engage the head of the screw for fastening the license plate to the bumper.
 2. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cushion cap is made from neoprene.
 3. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 1, wherein said washer has a plurality of tapered holes defined therein, said cap having corresponding tapered protrusions extending into the tapered holed in order to secure said cap to said washer.
 4. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cap is constructed of a transparent material.
 5. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 1, wherein the screw is a flathead screw, the head having a tapered bottom surface forming a countersink, washer having a countersunk bore defined therein corresponding to and mating with the bottom surface of the head of the screw.
 6. A padded license plate screw assembly, comprising: (a) a screw having a flat, extended head and a shank extending from the head, the screw being dimensioned and configured for attaching a license plate to an automobile bumper; and (b) a cushion cap having a centrally aligned hollow shaft, said cap being permanently attached to the head of the screw and covering the head of the screw, the hollow shaft being aligned above the head of the screw in order to allow a screw driving device to pass through the shaft to engage the head of the screw for fastening the license plate to the bumper.
 7. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 6, wherein said cushion cap is made from neoprene.
 8. The padded license plate screw assembly according to claim 6, wherein the head of said screw has a plurality of tapered holes defined therein, said cap having a plurality of corresponding tapered protrusions extending into the tapered holes in order to secure said cap to the head of said screw.
 9. The padded license plate screw according to claim 6, wherein said rubber cap is constructed of a transparent material. 